Improvement in carpet-stretching machines



A. WILHELM.

CARPET-STRETCHING ISIIACI-IIIQ'EY- Patented July 4,1876.-

tacking them down; and consists in a pair of lever B has a downward projection, E, which U ITED STATES PATENT AUGUST WILHELM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.

179,439., dated July 4, 1876; application filed April 20, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, AUGUST WILHELM, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretching Machines, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to a carpet-stretcher to stretch carpets on floors preliminary to forceps, from the toothed jaws of which a pointed part extends downward a convenient distance to allow of its being forced into the floor for the purpose of securing a leverage for the forceps. It consists, further, in a ratchet attachment for retaining the gripe the toothed jaws have upon the carpet while in the act of stretching the same upon the floor, and a spring for forcing them apart when the carpet is to be released.

The accompanying drawing is a perspective view of a carpet-stretcher of my invention, representing the device attached to a carpet preliminary to stretching it.

A and B are levers, which are pivoted at C. At the end of each of the arms A B of the levers A B is a toothed head orjaw, D. The

tapers to a point, E. This point, when slightly forced into the floor, constitutes the fulcrum for a common lever, E D F. G is a spring,

which separates the jaws D D whenever the pin 1 is relieved from the teeth of the ratchetframe J. This frame is pivoted to the lever B at L, and straddles the lever A at M. The teeth in the ratchet-frame are arranged to accommodate the varying thicknesses of carpet H. The ends of the leversA and B at F constitute the handles of the carpet-stretcher.

The mode of operation may be briefly described as follows: The operator places the carpet H between the jaws I) D, and, taking hold of the handles at F, draws them together, thereby closing the jaws D D upon the carpet, when the ratchet-frame J engages with the pin I and retains the gripe thejaws have upon the carpet. The point E of the forceps is then forced into the floor K. The forceps then act as a common lever, E D F, having its fulcrum at E, and by moving the part I in the direction the carpet is to be stretched the object will be attained, and a few stretchingtacks being placed in the carpet at the nearest convenient point to the carpetstretcher, the ratchet-frame is removed from the pin I, and the spring GIDICQS the jaws D D apart, and the carpet is ready to he pern'lanently tacked down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A carpet-stretcher consisting of the levers A B, pivoted upon a common center, and having the arms A -13 and jaws D D, the lever B being also formed with the pointed projection E, substantially as described.

2. The pivoted ratchet-frame J, pin I, and

spring G, in combination with a carpetstretcher, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand this 5th day of April, 1876.

HENRY MILLVVARD, JNO. S. MURPHY. 

